Stay
by My Secret O
Summary: Still in shock from the bombing in Dallas, Sookie finds solace in an unlikely place, and while she's recovering, she finds something much better.
1. Chapter 1

Charlaine Harris owns almost everything. I own the rest.

I'm dedicating this story to ashmo2000, honulvr, YvonnA, redjane12, patsy1965, meridiean, msbuffy, theladykt, padore, Loftin, jules3677, Kim, saldred75, and the rest of you who wish Bill ill. Very, _very_ ill.

This story is set near the end of Living Dead in Dallas, right after the Fellowship of the Sun open fire at Stan's party. Sookie sucks a bullet out of Eric's shoulder, and then finds Bill killing for revenge. She is sickened by his behavior, and leaves the party immediately to drive to the airport, leaving Bill behind.

I won't be posting _anything_ NSFW (aka MA) here, so if you'd like to read this story in all its unedited glory, please visit my blog at MySecretOFanFiction dot wordpress dot com

The chapters are short, and all mistakes are my own.

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Chapter 1

Sookie's POV

The room was a scene from a horror film: blood pouring from open wounds, and people crying and holding onto their injuries. But it wasn't a movie. It was real life. What had been a relatively nice party turned into a massacre in a split second.

Bombs will do that.

Sookie's purse remained wedged in the couch where she'd been sitting only minutes before with Eric. Before she told everyone to hit the floor. Before she sucked a bullet out of Eric's shoulder. And before she walked outside to look for Bill.

Screams rose from a patch of trees in the backyard. Someone was dying, slowly and painfully. She could hear his last thoughts, his regret for getting involved, and feel his sorrow for his family. Her stomach churned and her heart ached for him. Moments later, Bill sauntered toward her, rosy-cheeked.

It was too much.

Without a word to anyone, she walked out to her rental car and pulled away from the gruesome scene. The problem with being in an unfamiliar city was that she didn't know where she was.

Sookie pulled into the well-lit parking lot of a library and got a map out of the glove box.

"Are you lost?"

Sookie screamed and clutched her chest. "Sweet Jesus, Eric, you scared me."

He smiled as he apologized.

"What are you doing in my car?"

"I thought it best to get out of there before the police arrived. You were leaving, so I joined you."

"You could've let me know." Sookie swallowed hard. Her heart raced.

Eric looked away. "You might have said no." He twisted his body. "The backseat is too narrow for my legs, do you mind if I join you?" He motioned to the passenger seat.

Too tired to care, she said, "Sure."

Once Eric got seated next to her, she thrust the map into his hands. "Tell me how to get to the airport."

Eric scoffed.

Sookie scowled at him. "If you're going to ride with me, you can be my navigator. Otherwise, hit the road." She pointed at the door.

Reluctantly, Eric took the map. "Take a left."

They rode in silence for a few minutes and then Eric spoke, "He didn't even check on you. To make sure you were safe."

"I noticed that." Her jaw clenched.

"You're angry."

"No shit, Sherlock."

Eric tilted his head. "I can feel your anger. It just intensified. I've never experienced such a strong connection after one exchange."

"You're not helping the situation!" She hadn't even thought about the fact that he'd be able to feel her moods now that she'd had his blood, no matter how miniscule the amount was.

"I saved you."

Some of her anger dissipated. "Yes you did. I really appreciate it. Thank you for taking that bullet so I didn't have to."

"It would be a shame to ruin your perfect body."

When she glanced at him he seemed to be drinking her in. "Stop looking at me like that." Her pulse quickened. _He's not wearing a shirt._ _Look at the road. Don't look at him again._

"Is that lust I can feel?"

She could hear the smile in his words. "No. Your radar must be off. I'm tired. It's been a long night, Eric. I just want to get home."

After another stretch of silence, Eric said, "I think you should stay with me. Just to be safe."

"Safe from what? From who?" She shook her head.

"There are bad people in the world. You saw that tonight."

"Yes, and I also saw my boyfriend do bad things. You have no room to talk."

"Am I your boyfriend?" Eric's eyebrows arched.

"No. I meant vampires. As a vampire, you have no room to talk about good and bad. I'm sure you've done plenty of bad things in your life."

He nodded. "Oh yes," he said, and then he added, "and plenty of good."

She didn't want to know. Luckily, signs for the airport started popping up overhead. She followed the arrows for rental car return, parked the car and got out. She tossed the keys on the seat since she didn't have a better idea about what to do with the car Stan had provided for her.

Eric followed her through the parking structure, his pale skin rippling as he moved to his full height.

She swallowed hard. "You need a shirt."

He looked down. "Do I?"

Sookie squeezed her eyes shut and nodded. "Yes."

Eric shrugged, but once they got inside, he walked straight into one of the stores and bought a T-shirt. It had the words, DO IT IN DALLAS printed across the front. "Better?"

She was too tired to laugh. Leave it to Eric to find the only T-shirt with a sexual innuendo on it. "Not really."

He pulled it over his head and smoothed it in place. The material stretched over the sculpted plane of his chest and strained across his biceps.

"Didn't they have your size?" Skin-tight didn't begin to explain how it hugged his body.

"It looks good to me." He gave her a dazzling smile.

They walked up to the ticket counter together, but Eric spoke first. "Two tickets to Shreveport. First class."

The woman behind the desk smiled at him and typed quickly. She thought the shirt looked good on him too. "We have a flight that leaves in an hour. Terminal B, Gate 13."

Sookie nudged him. "I need to get back to Bon Temps, not Shreveport."

Eric pulled his wallet out. "I'll drive you."

"Don't you need to fly on Anubis Air?" Sookie whispered, desperately clinging to any reason why they shouldn't fly together.

The woman looked up at him. "Sir?"

Eric shook his head. "We'll be home well before sunrise."

The woman swiped his credit card and after another minute handed him their tickets.

"I could've paid for my ticket." _Not first class, but still_.

"That's not the point." Eric offered his arm. It would've been rude not to take it, so Sookie wrapped her arm around his and they walked to the terminal together. By the time they got to their gate, boarding had already begun. Eric escorted her onto the plane and into the first class section. It was the first time she'd been in _front_ of the blue curtain.

Sookie sank into the wide chair and sighed. She was beyond tired, but couldn't seem to get comfortable no matter how much she tried. She couldn't lean her chair back until after takeoff.

As the plane finished loading, Eric leaned toward Sookie and said, "You can rest your head on me, if you like." He patted his broad chest gently and lifted the armrest between their seats.

Too exhausted to worry about how it might look or what Eric might think, she leaned against him and closed her eyes.

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Want more? Chapter 2 is already posted on my blog. I always post updates there first. Follow me and you'll be the first to know. :)


	2. Chapter 2

Charlaine Harris owns almost everything. I own the rest. This chapter has been edited for slightly MA content. Read the whole thing at MySecretOFanFiction dot wordpress dot com

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Chapter 2

Eric's POV

It didn't take long for Sookie's breath to even out. Dark circles hung under her eyes. She was clearly shaken by the attack they had endured. His attempt to calm her with meaningless conversation seemed to work on the drive to the airport, but he couldn't take away the images of what she'd seen that night.

He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and called Pam. He whispered, "I'm on my way home. I need a car at the airport. I'm on flight 1265."

"Why are you whispering?" Pam replied.

"Because Sookie is sleeping on my chest and I don't want to wake her."

"Do tell," Pam purred into the phone.

"We were attacked by the Fellowship of the Sun. Sookie and I left before the police arrived."

"Were you injured?"

"I ruined my shirt. That happens a lot when I'm around Sookie." The last time had been when he carried her dirty and broken body up to her hotel room to remove the glass fragments from her arm after she was tortured by the Fellowship. "It's been an eventful trip." The overhead bell chimed. "I need to go. We're about to take off."

"I'll be there."

"Thank you, Pam."

The flight wasn't long. The aircraft barely had time to reach cruising altitude before it began the slow descent into Shreveport. Sookie shifted once as the plane touched down, snuggling lower on his chest and wrapping her arm around his waist.

After the plane emptied, Eric carefully scooped Sookie into his arms and carried her out, limp and warm in his arms. People cleared a path for him and security guards eyed him suspiciously. Sookie's dress was splattered with blood and she looked practically dead in his arms, but no one stopped him.

Once outside, he found Pam immediately.

Pam's mouth hung open as she looked at Sookie. "Did you drug her?"

He shook his head. "No. She's been like this for a while. I think she's in shock."

"Where are we taking her?"

Eric slid into the back seat carefully, cradling Sookie against his chest. He didn't like the idea of her being home alone, and since she wasn't conscious, Eric made a decision for her. "My house."

Pam let out a dry laugh and then drove. She always knew better than to question him.

When she pulled up in front of Eric's house, she turned to face him. "What can I do to help?" Pam's gaze lingered on the swell of Sookie's breasts.

"She'll need food when she wakes. I need you to go get her something. _I'm_ going to take her inside."

Pam rolled her eyes. "Fine, but I'm not happy about this arrangement."

"I know." Eric only smiled. "Open the door for me first."

She huffed and jerked the car door open. "Can I at least carry her for a while?"

"No. Now my front door." His grip tightened.

Pam reached into his pocket to retrieve the keys, grazing his hard-on. She laughed. "She has that effect on me too."

Eric walked inside. "Food please."

"Anything else?"

"Yes."

Pam's face brightened.

"Close the door on your way out."

Her face fell and then she stormed out, muttering about the injustices of being invited late to the party.

Eric moved silently through his house, heading straight for the guest room. No one had ever been in _his_ bedroom, and he intended to keep it that way.

He deposited Sookie's nearly comatose body on the neatly made bed. His arms ached to hold her again, but he had needs that had to be attended to.

In the kitchen, he downed a bottle of blood.

Pam walked in a few minutes later. "Food." She put down a bag marked with a fast food restaurant logo. "It's the only place open at three in the morning." She shrugged.

Eric put the bag in the fridge. "Thank you. You may leave now."

She was already headed down the hall toward the guest room. She sighed. "Fine. See you tonight."

Alone again, Eric made his way down the hall. He took a deep breath and then pushed the door open. Sookie's deep, even breathing filled the room. He pulled the covers back and stretched out next to her, tucking his hands behind his head.

"No. _No!_" Sookie's sleepy voice was distraught.

"Sh, you're safe." Eric stroked her hair, soothing her, carefully avoiding the bruises blooming across her skin.

Sookie murmured in her sleep and then rolled over and nestled against his side. Her warm legs drew up against his body as her arm wrapped around him. He shifted until her face rested against his chest again. Heat came off her in waves, and the temptation to touch her became increasingly difficult to resist. And then she draped her leg across him.

She sighed and fell back into a deep sleep.

Eric had never been more awake in all his life.

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I have been warned (again) that the FF police are hot on my trail. IF they delete my account, I hope you'll continue to read/follow me at my blog at MySecretOFanFiction dot wordpress dot com.


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